A typical loading dock of a building includes an exterior door with an elevated platform for loading and unloading cargo from vehicles, such as trucks and trailers. Many loading docks include a dock lever that enables personnel and material handling equipment to readily move on and off the vehicle bed during loading and unloading operations.
A typical dock leveler includes a deck that is pivotally hinged along its back edge (or is otherwise mounted for vertical movement) so that the elevation of the deck's front edge can be adjusted to generally match the elevation of vehicle's bed. An extension plate or lip extends outward from the deck's front edge so that the lip can span the gap between the rear edge of the vehicle and the front edge of the deck, thereby creating a bridge between the deck and the vehicle's bed. A lip hinge pivotally coupling the lip to the deck allows the lip to pivot between an extended operative position (where the lip is resting upon the bed of the vehicle) and a pendant position for when the dock leveler is not in use or during certain types of loading and unloading operations. Some known deck and lip hinge form a significant gap and/or a series of gaps between the front edge of the deck and the lip when the lip is stored in a pendant position. Such a gap or series of gaps can introduce outdoor air into the pit area directly underneath the deck.